Clock



Fab. 21, 1933. 1 1 GATESY 1,898,660

CLOCK Filed July 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MUN "n" [Wm Jahn J. Gaesy.@2x3 hia SHQ/:Mug

Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOGK Applicationllled July 7, 1930. Serial No. 465,985.

' This invention relates to clocks, and more particularly to a clock inwhich the hoursv and minutes of the day are indicated by a pair of bandswhich are adapted to rotate 5 behind openings in the clock casing.

One object of the invention is to provide a clock of the above naturewhich will be particuluarly ada ted for use in an automobile or on a deA further object of the invention is to provide a clock of the abovenature which will be simple' in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, `easy to assemble, compact, ornamental in appearance, andvery elicient 5 and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on theaccompanying drawings one form in which the invention may beconveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a desk clock embodying theinvention, with the cover of the clock shown in partially open position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of theminute-indicator band.

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view of the hour-indicating band.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan View of the bandoperating mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an inverted end view of the clock movement with the casingremoved and showing the time-indicating bands and their respectivesupports in cross section.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary views showing three successivepositions of the hour band operating mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10indicates the casing of a desk clock having an enlarged base 11. Thecasing 10 is preferably rectangular in shape and is provided with a topcover 12, hinged at 13, to the rear of the casing. The front face 14 ofthe casing 1() has a pair of rectangular hour and minute openings 15 and16 through which the figures on the minute band 17 and hour band 18 willbe visible.

The clockl is driven in the usual way by a main spring 18a which isadapted to actuate a train of gears 19 connected with a driving shaft20, said clock movement being mounted within atop plate 21 and a bottomplate 22, as most clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. 55

The clock movement is secured to an upper shelf 23 of the casing 10 bymeans of three inverted threaded bolts 24, 25, and 26, the heads ofwhichare located under the top plate 21. Nuts 27 and 28 are provided on 0said bolts, above and below said shelf 23, and a slot 29 is provided insaid shelf 23 to accommodate a winding handle 30 and a setting knob 31which extend upwardly through said shelf 23 into a position to be 65conveniently manipulated when the cover 12 has been raised (see Fig. 1).The setting knob 31 is located on the upper end of the continuouslyrotating minute band driving shaft 20 which is secured rigidly at itsother 70 end to a cross-strip 32 having feet sections 33 on itsextremities for rigid attachment to the minute band 17.

The hour-indicating band 18 is also provided with a cross-Strip,indicated by the numeral 34, said strip 34 being secured to said band 18by a pair of upst-anding feet 35. The strip 34 of the hour band 18 isloosely journaled at its center upon the shaft 20 and is provided with acollar mem- 90 ber 36 having a twelve-tooth ratchet wheel 37 rigidlyattached thereto. The ratchet wheel 37 is adapted to be pressed at alltimes by a spring finger 38 having a base section 39 permanently securedto the bot- 8s tom plate 22 as by a screw 40, the free end of saidlinger 38 having a V-shaped extremity 41 adapted to it between two ofthe teeth of the ratchet wheel 37.

In order to cause the hour-indicating band 9 The escapement mechanismcomprises a cam 42 rigidly mounted on the shaft 20 and: adapted toengage once each revolution with a pin 43 projecting downwardly from aslide member 44 which has an elongated central slot 45 for fitting abouta pair of upstanding 100 -member 48 is adapte iding screws 46 and 47.The slide 44 also as an end slot 47a for receiving the upturned end of aspring member 48 rojecting through the bottom late 22. e s ring to pressthe sli e 44 at all times' toward a bumper member 49 secured to theopposite end of the bottom plate by a screw 50.

In order to release one tooth of the ratchet wheel 37 at the conclusionof each hour, provision is made of an L-shaped latch arm 51 pivoted at52 to the slide 44 and having an upstandin extremity 53 apertured toreceive the ree end of a wire s ring 54 fixed at its other end upon abrac et 55 rigidly attached to the end of the slide 44 as by a rivet 56.The upstanding extremity 53 of the latch arm 51 is provided on its innerend with an angular catch shoulder 57 and a detent 58 so constructedthat the teeth of the ratchet wheel 37 will successively force the latcharm 51 outwardly about its pivot 52 to permit the teethof said ratchetwheel to intermittently pass by the detent 58.

Operation In operation, just as the figure 0 of the minute-indicatingband 17 comes into registry with the opening 15in the casing 10, thehour-indicating band 18 will jump onetwelfth of a revolution bringingthe figure for the next hour into alinement with the opening 15. Theoperation ofthe mechanism for accomplishing this result is as follows:

As the driving shaft 20 rotates, the cam 42vwill force the pin 43 to theright as viewed in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, moving'the slide 44 away from thebum er 49. At the same time the detent 58 of t e latch arm 51 will rideoutwardly over the next adjacent tooth of the ratchet wheel 37, forcingsaid latch arm 51 to swing about its pivot against the tension of the sring 54 until the detent 58 moves behind lt e next tooth of the ratchetwheel 37. When the cam 42 passes beyond the pin 43, the end spring 48will force the slide back to its initial position in engagement with thebumper 49.

It will be understood that the V-extremity 41 on the spring 38 willyield outwardly as the ratchet wheel 37 rotates but will permit saidwheel to move only one notch at a time.

It will alsobe understood that hour and minute indicating discs may besubstituted for the band members 17 and 18 within the spirit and scopeof the invention.

It will further be understood that the mechanism may be arran ed tocause the hour band to jump on the alf hour instead of at the beginningof each hour, in which case, the minute hand figures would be asfollows: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 in black, and 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 inred. The black figures will thus denote minutes after the 1,ses,eoo

hour, whereas the red figures on the other l half of the minute bandwill denote minutes before the next succeeding hour.

While there has been disclosed in this s eciication oneform in which theinvention may'be embodied, it is to be understood that this form isshown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention isnot to be limited to the s ecific disclosure but may be modified and emodied in various other forms without departin from its spirit. In short,the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments comingysaid shaft, a detent arm pivoted on sai slide for engagin said ratchet,and means rotatable with saigl shaft for intermittently engaging saidpin to move said slide longitudinally, and cause the next tooth on saidratchet to be engaged by said detent arm.

2. In a clock, a frame, a continuously driven shaft, a minute-indicatingband rotatable with said shaft, an hour-indicating band loosely mountedon Vsaid shaft and car- .rying a ratchet, a spring-pressed slide on saidframe carrying a pin, said slide having an elongated closed centrallslot enclosing said shaft, a detent arm ivoted on said slide forengaging said ratc et, and a cam rotatable with said shaft forintermittently en aging said pin to move said slide longituinally andcause the next tooth on said ratchet to be enga d by said detent arm.

3. In a clock, a rame, time-keeping mechanism, an hour-indicating bandrotatable on said frame, a ratchet wheel on said band, an upwardlyprojecting stop on said frame, a s ring-pressed slide carrying a in,said sli e having an elongated central e osed slot embracing the shaftof said ratchet wheel a s ring-pressed detent arm pivoted on sli e andadapted to engage between two adjacent teeth of said ratchet wheel, anda time-operated minute-indicating band having means for intermittentl ensaid pin and reciprocating sai slide where said detent will successiveladvance sai ratchet wheel one tooth, an thereby move saidhour-indicating band one step. l

4. In a clock, a frame, a driven shaft, a circular continuousminute-indicating band on said shaft, an hour-indicating band looselymounted on said shaft, a ratchet wheel ozu said hour band andsurrounding said shaft, a spring finger for engaging one side of saidratchet wheel a slide on said frame carrying a detent for engaging theother side of said ratchet wheel, a pm on said slide, said slide havinga closed slot embracin said shaft, a cam rotatable with said sha forintermittently forcing said pin and slide longitudinally along saidframe to permit said detent to pass to the next tooth of said ratchet,and a spring for returning said slide to cause said detent to rotatesaid ratchet one twelfth of a revolution at the end of each hour.

In testimony whereof, I have aixed my signature to this specification.

JOHN J. GATESY.

